A clear leader in semifinished acrylic products
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Founder Willi Findeis was a pioneer in the plastics sector and, as well as a successful entrepreneur, he was also a founding member of the Purchasing Association of German Plastics Traders (EVDK). “Willi Findeis realized that mutual cooperation was essential for individual success,” says CEO Torsten Hertel, who joined the company in August of last year and assumed his current position in May. “Sadly, he died in 2011, but it is thanks to his passion and wise, strategic decision-making that the company is in such rude health today.”
While Cofounder Bärbel Findeis retains a 50% stake in the family business, she has passed its day-to-day running to new CEO Torsten Hertel and her daughter. Bettina Diestelhorst-Findeis holds the remaining 50% stake in the company and is responsible for human resources and finance.
“After 51 years at the helm of the company, my mother stepped down from the operative side of the business in May of this year,” says Bettina Diestelhorst-Findeis. “As I continue in my parents' footsteps, I am fortunate to have a CEO who shares my vision for the company at my side.”
That vision continues to emphasize family values of solidarity and mutual respect, but also finds room for new ideas. “Findeis has become established as a leading supplier of semifinished plastic products in its local region,” explains Mr. Hertel. “We have an extremely comprehensive product range that covers technical plastics in a variety of formats, acrylic sheets, tubes and rolls for the building and advertising sectors, and PVC sheets and bars. We also trade acrylic and aluminium composite products as well as polycarbonate boards.”
Findeis’s traditional customer sector was the construction industry, but it finds itself increasingly supplying the advertising sector with acrylic products for display purposes of all kinds and in a variety of colours. Demand for technical plastics is also growing, and these are used in conveyor technology, the construction of special machinery and as skirting protection.
Findeis stocks a total of 11,000 different inventory items, providing one of the most varied product selections in the market. It also offers complete flexibility regarding order volume and even supplies small quantities worth as little as 500 to 1,000 EUR.
Furthermore, it is able to offer product personalization and a high level of customer service. “We have two Schelling CNC sawing centers that allow us to cut boards to specific sizes,” says Mr. Hertel. “We also offer motif engraving and edge polishing.”
Having specialized only in semifinished products, Findeis is now venturing into producing its own finished products. It is currently at the prototype stage for a garden shed and bin enclosure for integration in garden fencing.
“The idea was born at a conceptual workshop run to develop a solution for the German North Sea island of Sylt, where bin enclosures are mandatory,” says Mr. Hertel. “The problem is that existing solutions do not always suit the style of housing. We hope to solve this problem with our new concept.”
The new enclosures will be sold online to private and commercial customers rather than via retail channels so as not to compete directly with its traditional customers. This new direction reflects general changes in Findeis’s strategy. “Personalization, service and consultancy are the aspects that will ensure our future,” confirms Mr. Hertel.
